(RNS) More than 50 conservative Catholic activists and political leaders have come out in support of Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz in an effort to shore up Catholic backing for Cruz as an alternative to Donald Trump.

Among them is a priest from South Carolina who may be skirting the edges of his own churchs policies against clerics becoming involved in politics.

Trump is currently leading the three-man GOP field and has drawn strong primary support from Catholic voters despite his controversial rhetoric and past stands on key issues like abortion rights, which he once supported.

The Catholics endorsing Cruz, led by Princeton professor Robert George and former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, cited Cruzs opposition to abortion and gay marriage and his advocacy of religious freedom as the reasons for their support.

No one has been stronger than Ted in standing up for religious liberty and other fundamental constitutional freedoms, said George in a statement posted Friday (March 18) on Cruzs website. He will foster a culture, from the top down, that honors the Constitution  the one thing that, despite our differences, binds us all together as Americans.

While Trump was not mentioned by name in the endorsement, George and some of the other signers have also been leading the charge against the New York real estate magnate.

Several of them were among dozens of Catholics who signed an appeal earlier this month in National Review that said while they understood Trumps appeal for some Catholics, he was manifestly unfit to be president of the United States.

That was before Sen. Marco Rubio, who many Catholic conservatives were backing, dropped out of the race following a drubbing by Trump in his home state of Florida.

Cruz, a senator from Texas, is the son of the Cuban immigrants but he is a Southern Baptist, not a Roman Catholic. His father, Rafael Cruz, was born Catholic but became a born again Christian in the 1970s and is known for his fiery preaching.

One of the Cruz endorsements comes from Monsignor Ed Lofton, pastor at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Summerville, S.C.

I am very pleased to give my personal endorsement to Ted Cruz for President of the United States, Lofton said in the statement.

The Church must not be silent as the nation chooses the leaders who will shape its future. I am personally working for the election of Ted Cruz, and I urge fellow Catholics to join me in giving Ted Cruz our support and our votes.

But Deacon Greg Kandra, a blogger at the Catholic news site Aleteia, wrote that he was a little surprised to see such a vocal and enthusiastic endorsement of a candidate by a Catholic priest.

Kandra noted that the Catholic Church has strict guidelines against clerics holding office or taking an active part in political parties.

He also pointed to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops policies stating that church organizations and their representatives should not endorse or oppose candidates, political parties, or groups of candidates, or take any action that reasonably could be construed as endorsement or opposition.

Other signatories of the Cruz endorsement include Brian Brown, head of the National Organization for Marriage, Ryan Anderson of the Heritage Foundation, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

“One of the Cruz endorsements comes from Monsignor Ed Lofton, pastor at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Summerville, S.C.”

The Catholic Church as been “all in” for illegal immigration for decades. They need the members because members equal money, particularly when the members are functionally illeterates from Mexico and points south. Meanwhile back south of the border priests there are telling their “parishoners” that they must procreate with abandon, because “it’s God’s will,” so they can brew up the next generation of border crossers.

As far as I know, all of the writers and signers of the original statement, are Catholic and Evangelical laypeople --- except this one priest, Fr. Lofton of SC.

He should not have signed it with his religious identification. Priests are legitimately called to address moral issues, including ones with public policy impact, but they have no business as priests endorsing or opposing candidates or political parties per se.

If Fr. Lofton to endorse Cruz, he should arguably sign the statement as "Mr. Ed Lofton, citizen and voter."

I am as a conservative Catholic as you can get, born, bred and went to Catholic School, I can tell you this piece of crap article is just what it is POS...

I am 100% for Trump, Trump is an American first, a business man second, and loves America and the American People, he can see what these neo-cons have done to this great Country, so don’t spread around the lies that Catholics aren’t supporting Trump, we are in droves!!!

I don’t know either, being born, raised in Utah and then having left for 30 some years and coming back 3 years ago, I figured out why I didn’t like Utah, but I’m here now, so I’ll put up with it...

I have heard all my life about the garbage of the LDS church, and being a Catholic and going to Catholic School, I have heard a lot, but it makes no sense to me at all...

My life, my family, my business, my everything revolves around the word of God from the Bible, not the Pope, all though he is the head, but that’s all he is, and certainly not a ‘Prophet’ that wrote some book...

Aren't catholics led by an old white guy who sits behind a 39 foot wall that surrounds his country, living in true opulence and wealth, allows no immigrates into his walled country and tells America not to build a wall, to give away our wealth to those who won't work, to ignore our laws and take people who hate us and will kill us into our homes.

Yea, catholics should look into the mirror more often. What they see is not a pretty sight

This conservative Catholic is more conservative than Cuccinelli. I’m 100% for Trump.Those who want Cruz as the Republican nominee are the GOPe because they KNOW he has NO chance of winning in November. Name one state, just one, Cruz can win that Mittens did not win.

Well, you need to meet some better Catholics. Most of the practicing Catholics I know are voting for Cruz. The fact that people like Robert George, Brent Bozell and Ginni (Mrs. Clarence) Thomas are backing Cruz speaks volumes. Doubt many Catholics from the pro-life wing would favor Planned Parenthood cheerleader Trump over solid pro-lifer Cruz.

The post above “A Catholic apology...” for screed of Princeton’s Prof. George (leader of the group headlined here). Note the “A Catholic .....”

There are something like a billion Catholics, but the headline here doesn’t say FIFTY (50) Conservative Catholics Endorse Cruz. Seems leaving out that # is highly deceptive. Especially by contrast to “A.”

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